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Friday, November 9, 2012

El-Rufai Converted PHCN Land For Personal Use...Former PHCN Boss

Some of the lands the former Minister of Abuja, Nasir El-Rufai, allocated to his family members including, two of his wives, Hadiza and Hasiya, were originally meant for developmental projects within Abuja, a witness in the ongoing trial of the former minister has said.

Michael Okoye, the witness and a retired Assistant Manager at Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, said the contentious Plot 1201 in the Asokoro District of the nation’s capital was originally allocated by the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA, to the PHCN for the construction of a sub-station.

He said the land was for the construction of a 132/33 KVA transmitting/injection sub-station.

Mr. El-Rufai; a former Director-General of the Abuja Geographic Information System, AGIS, Altine Jibrin; and former General Manager of AGIS, Ismail Iro, are standing trial for abuse of office.

The EFCC is prosecuting the trio for allegedly converting the land to personal use.

Mr. El-Rufai is also being accused of allocating 10 plots of land in Asokoro District to members of his family. The EFCC claimed the accused committed the offence between 2003 and 2007.

Led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Wahab Ibiwole, Mr. Okoye, who was also in charge of the project department of PHCN, said the land was allocated to the power company in 2003.

He told the court the plot was meant for a power sub-station. He said that when he noticed that Plot 1201 was being tampered with, he constructed block-work fence to secure the place, but that he fence was later pulled down.